The present invention relates to an electric toothbrush, a brush unit that is removably attachable to the body unit of an electric toothbrush, and a method for operating an electric toothbrush.
A type of electric toothbrush that performs teeth brushing (plaque removal) by applying a quickly oscillating brush to a surface of a tooth is known. It has been proposed that the brush unit of such an electric toothbrush could be provided with a means for sensing plaque, tartar, tooth decay, and the like adhering to the surface of a tooth. Some electric toothbrushes are known which include a light source and a light sensor on or in the brush unit. Light emitted from the light source reflects off the surface of a tooth and is detected by the light sensor, and the user is notified if tooth decay or the like is sensed using the detected light. Known electric toothbrushes with a light source and a light sensor may be deficient in that plaque or the like is not accurately sensed. Thus, a need exists for an electric toothbrush that can improve the sensing accuracy of plaque, tartar, tooth decay, and the like.